Trusts & Foundations

Every day at Candlelighters we continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity and dedication of our supporters. We are lucky to work with a number of charitable trusts and foundations from Yorkshire and across the UK, who are vital in helping Candlelighters to deliver our mission of bringing light and hope to families facing childhood cancer.  The difference that these grants have made, and continue to make, is truly life-changing: making the unbearable a little more bearable for ordinary families facing extraordinary circumstances.

Trusts and foundations can support Candlelighters through a variety of channels, from annual donations which are instrumental in helping us achieve our priorities as a charity, to working with us to fund a specific element of our family support or research projects.

Your Journey with Candlelighters

We want to build mutually beneficial partnerships with our supporters. Whether you want to fund a specific project or support our wider goals as a Charity, a dedicated member of our team will bring you detailed, personal reporting on the impact of your grant, bringing you even closer to the people you are supporting. We also love welcoming trusts and foundations to The Square, our family support centre, to see first-hand how their support is changing lives.

Who Supports Us?

The Kentown Wizard Foundation were one of the pivotal founding donors to the Candlelighters Cottage, which we bought and renovated to provide free 'home away from home' accommodation for families, located a stone’s throw away from the Leeds Children’s Hospital.

Without this accommodation, parents can be away from their child with cancer or siblings for extended periods of time. The Candlelighters Cottage enables families to stay together, helping to keep some kind of sense of normality at a time when it can feel like everything around them is falling apart.

Contact Us

We are always looking to develop new relationships with Trusts and Foundations that share our values. If you are involved with a Trust or Foundation and would consider supporting Candlelighters, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We would love the opportunity to meet or send you more information. Bernadette Sampson is our Philanthropy Specialist and looks after our brilliant Trust and Foundation supporters. You can contact Bernadette by emailing [email protected]

Our stories

Every Step of the Way…Rhian’s Story
09-04-21Our stories • Posted by Sean Donnelly
Hi everyone. We are Julie and Andy, parents to Rhian and Keeley.  Rhian was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) shortly after her fifth birthday in 2015. She completed her treatment in August 2017 and was clear of cancer for 20 months. She sadly relapsed in April 2019 and then during her treatment for this …
Company of the Month – Squire Patton Boggs
07-04-21Our stories • Posted by Gaby Stead
We’re delighted to announce that our company of the month for March is the fabulous team at Squire Patton Boggs, Leeds. They chose Candlelighters as their charity of the year for 2021 and have been going great guns to raise funds for us, despite the challenges of fundraising when most of the team are working …
Jensen’s Story
18-03-21Our stories • Posted by Sean Donnelly
We are mum Beverley, dad Jason, big brother Ethan and Jensen from Huddersfield. Jensen, now six, is a fun-loving, adventurous little boy who always keeps us on our toes. Jensen was diagnosed with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in September 2018. We had been worried about his health for a while, going back and forth to the …
Children’s Cancer Charity draws attention to cause during Brain Tumour Awareness Month
16-03-21Our stories • Posted by Sean Donnelly
Children and families worldwide are devastated daily by brain tumour diagnoses, with around 50 children diagnosed with brain and other central nervous system tumours each year in Yorkshire alone. During Brain Tumour Awareness Month, Yorkshire children’s cancer charity Candlelighters aims to raise awareness of brain tumours and the need for greater research funding. Brain tumours …
Talking Brain Tumour Research with Ryan Mathew
08-03-21Our stories • Posted by Gaby Stead
Candlelighters has funded research into the understanding and treatment of childhood cancers for 30 years. Academic neurosurgeon, Ryan Mathew, has been supported by Candlelighters since 2018, as part of a four year funding programme to enhance brain tumour research. Ryan qualified as a doctor in 2005 from the University of Leeds. Following hispassions of neurosurgery …
Ralph’s Story
05-03-21Our stories • Posted by Sean Donnelly
Ralph was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma at the age of six. It was a complete and utter shock to the whole family as Ralph had always been a very healthy little boy. He had been unwell with suspected tonsillitis for a few weeks. We’d been back and forth to our GP and an overnight stay …
Our February 2021 Company of the Month is… FluidIT Consulting!
26-02-21Our stories • Posted by Gaby Stead
We are delighted to announce that our February 2021 Company of the Month is FluidIT Consulting! FluidIT began supporting Candlelighters last year, in response to our pandemic appeal and promptly became members of Candlelighters ‘Team 500’, by making a donation of £500. The team were keen to support in other ways too and decided that …

Your stories

David’s 10k Challenge
08-04-21Your stories • Posted by Gaby Stead
Today we’d like to recognise the fabulous David Slater, who is undertaking a mammoth challenge to run 10k EVERY DAY for 10 weeks to raise funds for Candlelighters and Mind, hoping to raise an epic £10,000 to split between both charities!   David, Chief Operating Officer at The Property Buying Company, aptly began his challenge …
Hughie’s Legacy Hoorah
12-03-21Your stories • Posted by Gaby Stead
‘Hughie Wilson Eyles was born on 14th October 2019. At four weeks old, Hughie developed a high fever and a rash. With his mum, Chloe, being a qualified nurse of nine years, she knew something wasn’t quite right with our little boy. After a phone call to 111, an ambulance was sent, and Hughie was …
Jonathan’s Ten Million Steps in 2021!
26-02-21Your stories • Posted by Gaby Stead
Today we’d like to share Jonathan’s story. Jonathan has set himself an incredible challenge – to walk ten million steps during 2021. This goal works out at a staggering average of 27,397 steps every day (approximately 13 miles!) for 365 days. Jonathan is raising funds for both Candlelighters and The Fire Fighters Charity. Here’s why… …